


Qui a froid souffle le feu

by cambria



Series: Solvant Universel [3]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Nightmares, ed’s a dope but a sweetheart, just friends being pals, no relationship here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-05 17:11:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16371731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cambria/pseuds/cambria
Summary: He who is cold fans the flames.





	Qui a froid souffle le feu

**Author's Note:**

> A small schmoopy thing that may or may not make it into the main fic. If it does, great! But I’ll probably forget about t by then so here you go. 
> 
> Set before the brothers and Anna get to Central

One thing Edward quickly realizes is that it’s an entirely different experience sleeping in the same room as a girl.

Another thing he realizes is that whatever Anna went through was enough to give her some rather wicked nightmares. He could hear her teeth grind from over six teeth away and could practically feel the terror roll off of her in waves. 

If nightmares had been an issue before, Ed never saw any sign of it. Neither did Al, which was the biggest surprise; despite being a suit of armor, he seemed to have developed a special affinity for reading people like books. Even he hadn’t caught on—the headaches, the zoning out, the constant fatigue, it was all par for course.

Anna didn’t make a sound the whole night. Somehow, that was worse.

Ed didn’t say a thing in the morning when Anna shuffled out of their shared bedroom. She didn’t say anything either, not until she’d gulped down half her cup of coffee.

“Rest well?” And Ed was honestly impressed; it hadn’t taken her too long to adjust the way she spoke. She wouldn’t ask if they had slept well. She knew Al couldn’t sleep, not really.

Her consideration was sickening. That meant she was getting too close. Getting attached.

Weren’t they, too?

“Not all that well actually,” the older brother replies, yawning for effect.

“I took a walk when the sun was rising, that was pretty nice,” Alphonse replies in kind, sitting by the window with a book in his lap.

Anna cracks a tired grin. “What’s wrong Ed, can’t sleep with a girl in the room?”

“W-what? No! I meant your—“ Ed catches himself before he says it. Looks at Alphonse, who does his best to convey confusion, before turning to Anna. She looks confused for a moment and then her face completely changes.

“What? Does Anna talk in her sleep? Did she say anything?” Al’s concern is also... sickening.

“It-it’s nothing, Alphonse,” Anna says, tries to brush it off. The stutter in her voice makes it clear she’s lying. Al’s about to ask, but seems to decide better if it just before speaking.

And the conversation is dropped, just like that. Back to banter and talking about the brothers’ mysterious quest to get their bodies back. Anna doesn’t know about the philosopher’s stone. Anna can’t know about the stone.

She has nightmares that night again. Edward can hear her grinding her teeth again. When he hears her whimper is when he decides he should probably do something.

Ed makes as much noise getting up and walking to Anna’s bed as he can, hoping it might wake her up. It doesn’t. He calls out to her. Still won’t wake up. 

He nearly jumps clean out of his skin when, after gently shoving at her arm, she grabs onto his automail and bolts upright.

“Lia!” She cries out, cheeks read and eyes watery. “Lia please, I didn’t know—“

Anna blinks through the tears a few times before letting go on Ed’s arms and throwing herself backwards. She slams her back against the wall her bed is shoved against.

“Hey, it’s okay, it’s just me,” Edward tries, kneels down beside the bed in an effort to make himself look as non-threatening as he can. “You with me Anna?”

She pulls herself into a tight ball and hides her face in her arms. Ed can see her shoulders shake. It’s not hard to tell she’s crying.

“I’m sorry,” Anna apologizes, and Ed can barely hear her.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for. We all have nightmares,” he replies. Anna doesn’t answer. He sighs and moves to get up.

A cold hand shoots out, manages to grab onto Ed’s thumb.

They both stay like that for a few seconds before Anna lifts her head. She looks absolutely wrecked. How had they not seen this sooner?

“You’re... you’re not gonna ask?” Her voice is so small and confused. Ed almost feels like a small part of him is breaking and catching fire, simultaneously.

“Nah, you’ll tell me if you want to. I’m not gonna ask.”

Anna chuckles. It’s a baffling sound and at odds with her face, but somehow it’s reassuring. She doesn’t let go of his thumb. 

“Are you...” Ed starts, but stops himself when Anna shakes her head. She bites at her lower lip and seems to look at everything but Ed.

“Do you—can I...” She huffs and starts over. “Is it okay if I push my bed closer? Please?”

Ed can feel his face heat up like the sun.But he understands.

When he wakes up the next morning, they both still have an arm reaching across the small gap between their beds.

Anna’s holding onto only his pinky finger with her own.


End file.
